EXCLUSIVE: Tom Cruise's Oscars Greed – Pint-Sized Star 'Obsessively Chasing' A SECOND Giant Honor From Academy
Tom Cruise is obsessively chasing a second Oscars honor as Academy recognition fuels his ambition.
Jan. 7 2026, Published 7:30 a.m. ET
One Oscar isn't enough for hyper-competitive Tom Cruise. The aging action star is dying to actually earn an Academy Award after receiving an honorary one in November, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Tough and tumblin' Cruise, 63, is even said to be turning his back on action flicks to bulk up his acting cred.
Tom Chases Serious Oscar Respect
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu described 'Judy' as a character-driven film while collaborating with Tom Cruise.
"He's made more money than he can spend on the Mission: Impossible franchise and his body has been beaten up for it," noted an insider. "Tom wants to show a different side of himself, and with his new film with Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, that's exactly what he's doing."
The Oscar-winning director, 62, has described their project, Judy, as a "character-driven film" and hinted there were zero stunts to be found. It costars awards show darlings Riz Ahmed, Sandra Huller and Jesse Plemons.
"He will surprise the world," Inarritu, who presented Cruise with his honorary Academy Award on November 17 at the Governors Awards in L.A., said of the actor's performance in their upcoming movie. "People will see a new kind of thing."
Desperate Oscar Chase Hits Overdrive
Insiders said Cruise hopes a dramatic turn after 'Mission: Impossible' leads to a competitive Oscar win.
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Until the Top Gun star nabs another golden statue, shares the insider, this won't be the last time he resists the need for speed on screen: "He'll spend the next 10 years making serious dramas and thrillers if that's what it takes."
But Cruise is hoping he doesn't have to wait that long, said the source. "He wants to win a competitive Oscar as soon as humanly possible. He's already trying to pump people up for Judy's release next fall. As always with Tom, some of the effort feels desperate."
